Chilliwack
Site Information
Number of Residents: 9 CMG, 1 IMG
Location: Chilliwack, BC
Community: 92,000
Hospital: Chilliwack General Hospital
Distance from Vancouver: 103 KM
Curriculum Type: Partial Integrated
R2 Elective Time: 12 Weeks
Site Director Message
Thank you for your interest in the Chilliwack site of the UBC Family Practice Residency Program. We hope this information helps you consider Chilliwack for your residency.
Chilliwack is a vibrant city located about 100 km east of Vancouver, serving a population of 90,000 to 100,000. Family physicians are central to our care model, with all preceptors having hospital privileges and providing the majority of inpatient care, supported by specialists in various fields.
The hospital model in Chilliwack offers residents exceptional learning opportunities. With no hospitalists or specialty residents, family practice residents gain significant clinical exposure and hands-on experience. Chilliwack hosts BC’s first integrated clinical clerkship, enhancing training through early teaching and mentorship roles. As our community grows, residents can expect high-quality core experiences and increased learning opportunities.
Residents enjoy a mix of primary care and acute inpatient medicine, with longitudinal experiences encouraged through half days in family practice offices, ensuring continuity of care. Our preceptors are leaders in implementing EMR and improving outpatient care. A new inpatient hospital care program further supports family doctors caring for their patients, promoting full-spectrum general practice.
Unique to our program is the longitudinal hospital call and emergency medicine exposure. Residents assess and manage new medical problems during hospital stays and participate in emergency medicine shifts. These experiences are crucial for developing skills applicable to various styles of family medicine.
We have also introduced a focus on addictions medicine, with a core rotation in Surrey and enhanced psychiatry involvement. Obstetrical experience is integrated into the program, ensuring residents gain basic competence, with opportunities for additional electives.
Chilliwack boasts a welcoming medical community, fostering strong bonds among residents, who receive support both socially and professionally. The area offers numerous recreational activities, including hiking, skiing, and more. We hope this information encourages you to consider Chilliwack for your family practice residency!
Dr. Alison Henry , MD, CCFP
About
Contact: nicolas.wiewel@fraserhealth.ca
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Learn more about the City of Chilliwack here. Further details on recreation activities are here and here.
Lead Resident Message
As the first community-based training site in UBC, Chilliwack has a strong history of preparing new doctors for full-service family practice. Our residents come from across Canada, drawn by our graduates’ reputation for competence and confidence in rural and remote settings. If you want to excel in family practice, emergency medicine, inpatient care, and labor and delivery, consider training in Chilliwack. Here are some program highlights:
Excellent Learning Environment
Chilliwack General Hospital is a friendly community hospital predominantly run by family doctors, fostering collegial relationships with local specialists. With a catchment area of approximately 100,000, we benefit from diverse cases while maintaining a close-knit hospital feel.
Continuous Emergency Department Exposure
Regular evening emergency shifts, a month-long core emergency rotation, and a two-week pediatric emergency rotation in Vancouver ensure robust emergency training. There are also elective opportunities locally, at larger teaching centers, or internationally.
Hospital Call
Our program emphasizes hospital call, allowing family doctors to care for their own inpatients. We manage significant responsibility with reliable backup, honing our skills in inpatient and emergency care.
Dr. Anisha Bains & Dr. Kassandra McFarlane
